Humor Against Smog: “Mstítelder” Premieres in Almaty

Nearly 1 million views on YouTube in just 14 days and an active wave of discussions across social media. Almaty hosted the premiere of a unique video project at the intersection of ecology and creative industries — the Kazakh-language mini-series “Mstítelder” (with Russian subtitles), produced by BayGuys studio on the initiative of the Almaty Air Initiative Foundation.

A closed screening of all three episodes and a lively discussion on environmental issues took place the day before at Cinemax cinema.
Satire, irony, and the language of youth became tools to draw attention to one of Almaty’s most pressing problems — air pollution.

According to the creators, “Mstítelder” became the first attempt to talk about urban ecology in the Kazakh language, through satire and irony, directly addressing the young audience.

Zhuldyz Saulebekova, Executive Director of Almaty Air Initiative:

“We wanted the conversation about ecology — about Almaty’s air — to sound in Kazakh, in a language close to the younger generation.
It’s not just about language; it’s about inclusion, accessibility, and respect for our audience.
Through this series, we’ve shown that ecology doesn’t have to be boring or abstract.
We need to speak about it simply, honestly, and with emotion.”

After the screening, a live discussion followed, featuring the project team, actors, representatives of Almaty Air Initiative, and guests.
The audience shared their emotions and reflections, discussed possible solutions, and emphasized the importance of creative approaches in raising awareness about complex issues.

BayGuys team:

“Yes, we create comedy, but humor also carries responsibility.
We chose this topic deliberately because the air of Almaty is something that connects us all.
We want our audience to think about what kind of air they breathe — and to realize that change is only possible when we recognize the problem and start acting.
Irony and parody can convey things people often avoid hearing directly.”

You can watch the “Mstítelder” series at the following links:
Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Br4PJ3WQ74&t=6s
Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCwjP4_ejIU
Episode 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs6yqwkfy_E